Coffee And Walnut Cupcakes Food

COFFEE AND WALNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Pick out 24 really nice walnuts from your packet and set aside for decorating the cupcakes later. Weigh out 50g (1¾oz) of the remaining walnuts and chop finely, or just break them into small pieces with your fingers.
• Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F. Put 24 cupcake cases in the holes of a cupcake tin. (See Note 3.)
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar thoroughly, until the mixture starts to look a little bit paler.
• Add in one egg at a time and stir until each egg is completely mixed in before adding the next one.
• Add in half the flour and stir gently until just combined. Add in the remaining flour and, again, stir gently until the flour is just combined.
• Add in the finely chopped walnuts and the strong black coffee and stir just enough to ensure the walnuts are evenly distributed.
• Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases. (I find 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture per cupcake case is about right.)
• Put the cupcakes in your preheated oven for 13 minutes. After 13 minutes, get them out and check for doneness by pressing the tops. If they make a little crunchy sound, pop them in for two more minutes. If they don't make a sound when you press the top, they are done. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the cupcake tray.
• Don't try and ice the cupcakes until they are completely cold! (They take about 1 hour to cool.)
• Put the softened butter and sieved icing sugar in a bowl and beat together until smooth. Add in the coffee and beat again until evenly mixed in.
• Using a regular table knife, smooth a little of the icing onto the top of each cupcake and top with a walnut.

COFFEE AND WALNUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F (gas 5).
• Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
• To make the cupcakes, tip the flour and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, then add the eggs, and the flour and walnut mixture. Tip the coffee granules into a small bowl, add the water and stir until the coffee has dissolved, then add to the cake ingredients in the bowl. Beat the mixture until smooth.
• Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
• To make the frosting, tip the coffee granules into a mixing bowl, add the boiling water and stir until the coffee has dissolved. Add the butter to the bowl and beat until smooth, then gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Spread the frosting over the top of the cupcakes and place a walnut half on top of each cupcake. Dust with a little confectioner's sugar before serving.

COFFEE & WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm springform cake tins and line with baking parchment. Set aside 2 tbsp of the coffee for the filling.
• Beat the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and half the remaining coffee in a large bowl with an electric whisk until lump-free. Fold in the finely chopped walnuts, then divide between the tins and roughly spread. Scatter the roughly chopped walnuts over one of the cakes. Bake the cakes for 25-30 mins until golden and risen, and a skewer poked in comes out clean. Drizzle the plain cake with the remaining coffee. Cool the cakes in the tins.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: beat together the icing sugar, cream and mascarpone, then fold in the reserved 2 tbsp coffee. Spread over the plain cake, then cover with the walnut-topped cake and dust with a little icing sugar.

COFFEE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Line 18 holes in 2 bun tins with fairy cake cases. Beat the sugar with the butter until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one by one, adding 1 tbsp flour at the same time. Beat in the rest of the flour along with the espresso. Spoon into the cake cases and bake for 17 mins, swapping the trays after 12 mins. Cool on a wire rack.
• To make the icing, beat the butter until pale, then gradually beat in the icing sugar, followed by the espresso and the melted chocolate. When the cakes are completely cool, swirl the icing generously on top and decorate with coffee beans, if you like.